


The World I Desire

by DragfallLuard



Series: Rewrite the stars [2]
Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-04-26 05:26:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14395257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragfallLuard/pseuds/DragfallLuard
Summary: Kazuma is now Gyze's vessel and Chrono has to learn how to cope with it and overcome what's ahead.A bit of a character study of Chrono this time and the sequel to "The World You Are Seeking".Discontinued. Lost inspiration for it..





	1. Chapter 1

Onimaru had just left Chrono's room since visiting hours were over. Was it already that late? He thought Onimaru had spoken to him, but he honestly couldn't remember. And if he did, Chrono wondered if he even uttered a word back to the older one. His eyes wandered to his deck in a tidy stack on the nightstand next to the hospital bed. He remembered dropping them, but did Onimaru pick them up for him? Chrono's head throbbed as he thought about it. There was a name lingering on his tongue.. That name... Whose name..?

“Kazuma?”

Chrono's voice sounded hoarse and he only just realized how badly his throat hurt. But that was all nothing. Not when he thought about when he encountered Kazuma—no—Gyze. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't see the other in those eyes. It was Kazuma's face—that he loved, Kazuma's body—that he held, Kazuma's lips—that he kissed, but the eyes. The eyes were foreign. They were soulless. It was as if Chrono was looking into a hollow shell. He remembered looking, searching, desperately for the boy he loves.

Chrono closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His chest hurt. His head hurt. He felt like throwing up. He had no idea when he fell asleep, but when he awoke, he was drenched in sweat, heart beating rapidly, and vague images of Kazuma flashed in his mind... But it wasn't Kazuma.. It was Gyze. Chrono pressed his face to the palms of his hands and then brought his legs up to his chest. Maybe he should check on Taiyou later...

–

After another few days, Chrono was released from the hospital. Mikuru-san, Shion, and Tokoha were waiting for him when he walked down to the lobby with a nurse. He heard them speak to him, but he couldn't decipher what they were saying. It all sounded garbled in his ears. It grew quiet in a short amount of time. They must've thought he wasn't listening...

–

“You've reached the voice mail of Shouji Kazuma. I'm sorry I can't take your call right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.”

–

“Chrono... Shion-kun and Tokoha-chan are here again...,” came Mikuru-san's voice. It'd been a week since Chrono was released from the hospital and he'd holed himself up in his room for the majority of that time. Partially because he couldn't hear when he was being asked for, but mostly because he just kept replaying that encounter over and over again. Althought, hearing Mikuru-san's clear voice tugged him out of that memory, Chrono wasn't sure if he should be grateful he could understand her again or not.

“...Yeah... I'll be right out,” he spoke. It felt like eons since he'd heard his own voice that he actually wondered if that was him who spoke just then. Nonetheless, he somehow pulled himself out of bed and stumbled around his room to collect a shirt and shorts so he wasn't meeting the other two in his pajamas. He opened his door slowly, not seeing anyone in the hallway, so he made his way to the living room where Shion and Tokoha were standing. They looked exhausted, but their faces seemed to liven up when they noticed him.

“Chrono..!,” Tokoha spoke first. She stepped closer to him carefully and then gently wrapped her arms around him.

And Chrono broke.

“What.. What do I d-do..? Tokoha... Shion....,” Chrono buried his face in her neck and sobbed. Chrono felt Shion's hand on his back as it rubbed in a comforting circle. Something Chrono often did to calm down Kazuma.

“No one blames you Chrono..,” Shion whispered.

“Ta-Taiyou.. Taiyou's injured... and Kazuma's gone...,” Chrono felt himself cry harder. “It's all.. all my fault.. If I hadn't met him.. He'd still be here.. I th-thought that I wa..was helping... I really did... But I think... I just ruined his life.. with everything that I did...”

“Shhh.. no... Don't think that way Chrono,” Tokoha spoke quietly and held him tighter. “Kazuma cared about you. I'm sure that he still cares about you.. He wouldn't have done this if he didn't.”

“What do I do...,” Chrono repeated. “I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore...”

“...Let's go out,” Shion said.

Tokoha slowly pulled away from Chrono, but kept her hands on his shoulders. Chrono's tears were nowhere near stopping and he didn't look at either of them.

“Where to..,” Chrono wiped at his eyes.

“Onimaru-san said he wants to meet up,” Shion informed. He put a hand on Tokoha's hand that was on Chrono's shoulder and squeezed. “Come on.”

Chrono peeked up at his two teammates. His best friends. His family. They looked at him with exhausted smiles, but they were familiar smiles. Because they were the genuine smiles they'd given him throughout their entire friendship. Smiles that told him that they were going to pick him up and help him stand on his own two feet. Smiles that told him that they believed in his resolve. Chrono felt a small weight lift off his shoulders, but every other circumstance seemed to weight even heavier.

“Alright...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I'm back~
> 
> Sorry for a short first chapter, but I felt like it just had to be that way. I dunno how regular updates will be cause even though the semester ends soon, I'll still be busy! But, I hope you'll all join me on this journey through G Z. I'm rewriting it kind of how I would prefer it went. There was a lot wrong with G Z, but I do fully believe that there were a lot of good things that they just didn't delve into which is a major disappointment.


	2. Chapter 2

“Shion... What happened? I thought you were overseas with Jaime and Enishi-san..?,” Chrono wondered. The three of them were waiting at a cafe for Onimaru and after getting some food and a sweet drink in his system, Chrono felt some energy return to him, but he didn't feel better. He just wanted to seem better for Tokoha and Shion.

“Ah, about that,” Shion put down his drink. “Tokoha had called me about the situation and I just.. Jaime told me I should go if I really felt like I should.”

Chrono looked into Shion's blue eyes. They'd been broken before. They'd been enraged before. They'd been betrayed before. But they were always so sincere. Chrono felt the corner of his mouth curl upward the slightest bit. “Thank you for coming here...”

Shion coughed and turned away. Chrono caught a faint pink that dusted his cheeks as he turned away and he felt like he'd just seen a side that he had never witnessed before. Chrono glanced to Tokoha who had a hand over her mouth. She met eyes with him and laughed quietly. What a rare sight that was.

“I hope I didn't make you all wait too long,” came a familiar voice. Chrono wasn't sure whether that voice made him feel good or bad. All he knew was that his stomach twisted upon hearing it.

“Ah, Onimaru-san,” Tokoha smiled. “Not really. We just got some drinks and food if you also want to order.”

Onimaru sat down next to Shion, across from Chrono, with a tired smile. “I'll be fine. I ate earlier and I'm still full,” he sighed and then looked at Chrono with his piercing eyes. No matter how comfortable Chrono got with him, he still somehow always managed to be intimidating. “How are you feeling, Shindou-kun?”

“I..,” Chrono looked away.

“I see..,” Onimaru said. Chrono was glad that he understood, but of course that didn't make him feel better. “I'm sorry.. I haven't proven to be of much use as a bodyguard...”

“No,” Chrono said. “It's alright. It's not your fault.”

“Shindou-kun. Kiba-kun. Anjou-chan,” Onimaru spoke again. “When you all are finished here, I hope you'll allow me to take up some of Shindou-kun's time.”

Chrono looked a bit confused, but then he saw Onimaru place his deck on the table.

“Oh... I..,” Chrono swallowed although his mouth went dry. He did bring his deck out of habit, but, “My deck isn't...”

“Please,” Onimaru bowed his head. “You were the last one to fight with Kazuma. I need to know what he saw.”

“…It's only natural.. For you to wanna know, being Kazuma's older brother,” Chrono chewed the inside of his cheek. “It's my duty to show you...”

“…Thank you.”

–

The four of them relocated in a nearby park that was surprisingly not very populated. The roads weren't busy and there weren't many people out. It almost felt peaceful if not for the alien planet that loomed over them.

“Stand up, Vanguard!”

Chrono took occasional deep breaths near the beginning of their match. It felt a bit strange to fight again after having done nothing for a while, but as soon as Onimaru was able to deal damage, Chrono's mind would flash images of his encounter with Gyze. He bit down on his lip.

“Noroi attacks your Vanguard!,” Onimaru rests his card and Chrono winces visibly at the damage. “Turn end.”

“Ride.. Chronobeat Buffalo..,” Chrono breathes and calls another rearguard. As he moves to make Lugal-Ure to attack, his mind replayed when he stumbled upon the scene in that abandoned building with Taiyou.

_“Kazuma had a fight to try to protect you. He tried desperately, but...”_

_Why..? Why did he do that for me?_ “That idiot...,” Chrono clenched his teeth tightly. He attacked with his Vanguard and other rearguard, which left Onimaru with three damage. “Turn end.”

Chrono thought for a moment that Onimaru hesitated before riding, but then he spoke, “With a new vow, I ride! Blazing Demonic Stealth Dragon, Shiranui “Zanki.” Skill activated. I choose any one rearguard unit to get +2000 power. If I choose one of my opponent's rearguards, Dominate! I attack your Vanguard!,” Onimaru used Lugal-Ure to attack Chrono. He guarded that attack and the attack from Onimaru's Noroi.

“No guard..,” Chrono mumbled when Onimaru attacked him with Shiranui and Fuurai shortly after. “I know.....,” he clenched his fist that didn't hold his cards. “I know.. that it's my fault..”

Chrono rode Chronojet Dragon G, but then he thought about before when he was about to be engulfed by Gyze. _If I had become Gyze's vessel that day and kept it under control, Kazuma would never have become Gyze. I know.. that it's my fault.._ “Chronojet Dragon G attacks your Vanguard..,” he rested his card. He noticed Onimaru immediately bring up his hand to grab a card, but then he stopped. Chrono knew why. “Do it.”

Onimaru looked surprised, but he continued immediately, “With the cost being a heal trigger, Generation Guard!”

Chrono recalled Gastille and how he monologued on and on about how Chrono was the perfect vessel for Gyze. Because he was the Gear Chronicle's Singularity. _Singularity... If I hadn't taken that hand on that one day..._

“Kazuma.. Kazuma told me something,” Onimaru spoke up. “He said he got back the feeling of never giving up thanks to you.” What..? Did Chrono hear him right? “But he said he hadn't been able to give anything back to you. That must be why he acted so reckless.”

Chrono blinked a couple of times. He thought back to that night Kazuma had confessed to him.

_“I... hate myself so much..,” Kazuma choked. “There's nothing I can be proud of because n-nothing I do will ever be enough.”_

Onimaru continued with his turn, causing both of them to call a rearguard from their hand. “You said the diffridden Kazuma challenged you to a fight himself.. I think it was Kazuma's will that made him do it.” Chrono snapped out of his trance as he listened to the other. “Kazuma had faith that you would definitely beat Gyze.”

_“I want to be the one people c-c-can rely on, but I'm not reliable at-at all and definitely not as much as you...,” Kazuma's tears continued to fall._

“Kazuma thought I...,” Chrono tried to process the information relayed to him.

_“I've.. always wondered if maybe.. maybe y-you'll look my way.. and w-want me, too.”_

“I'm not going to give up,” Onimaru declared as he picked a card from his G Zone. “No matter what stands in my way... No matter who or what my opponent is... I'm going to get Kazuma back.” Chrono clenched his fist and chewed on the inside of his cheek as Onimaru strode and activated his skills. “When I was diffridden, Kazuma put everything on the line and challenged me. Now it's my turn to respond to that feeling... SHINDOU-KUN!”

Chrono looked up at the older brother of the one he loves. “Are you going to let it end like this?!”

_“Chrono,”_ came a quiet voice. He saw Chrono Dran. _“Do you wish we had never met?”_

He blinked and looked to his side where Tokoha and Shion stood. The world around him grew dark. He looked around himself more and saw everyone else that had supported him along the way. Then suddenly, he felt chills creep down his back. He was scared to turn around.. He knew who was behind him, but he didn't want to face him. Not yet.

_“Will you be my boyfriend?,” Chrono asked and almost before he could finish that sentence, Kazuma blurted, “Oh my gods, yes.”_

_They leaned into each other and pressed their lips together._

_Ah.. I remember that day.. It felt like... The happiest day of my life._ Chrono thought. Something then possessed him to turn around and face the figure who stood behind him. Of course he knew. It was Kazuma. The other looked at him with his steely grey eyes. He smiled. Chrono remembered those smiles. Whenever they kissed. Except.. the last time they kissed. When Kazuma had told him they should end their relationship for a bit. He remembered how he felt his world fall apart all around him. He remembered wanting to take all of Kazuma that night. Desire.. was something scary.. But he knew he couldn't. He couldn't do that to Kazuma. He knew that Kazuma had a reason for making that decision... But it didn't make it hurt any less..

_Kazuma... Kazuma... I never.. I never told you, did I?_

Chrono let his head drop as hot tears fell from his eyes. He felt something push against his head which surprised him. He looked up to see Kazuma continuing to smile at him.

_I never told you... I love you..._

“I can't do it..,” Chrono mumbled.

“Hn?,” Onimaru's quiet voice brought him back to reality.

Tokoha spoke next, “Chrono, what—?”

“What are you saying?,” Shion finished.

“I can't...,” Chrono dropped to his knees and let his cards fall. “I want to.. I need to grasp the future that I desire with my own two hands, but.. I can't... I can't remember how...”

“Shindou-kun! Don't give up!,” Onimaru shouted. “Remember! You have to see the battle through all the way till the end! Even if it all seems hopeless!”

“I can't do it..,” Chrono cried. “I don't remember how... I can't see it anymore—”

Chrono froze at what he just said.

“What..?,” someone spoke, but he didn't know who it was.

“I can't envision it.. I can't.. imagine it.”

Chrono looked up at the sky.

_It... the planet.. Cray... It's gone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent a lot of last night just writing even though I have homework because I didn't wanna do it, haha!
> 
> A little snippet of what to look forward to are more character interactions esp between Try3. I was really sad to see how Bushi handled character development and interactions in G Z, so I wanna bring that back (Also lowkey trying my hand at writing more characters~). I hope I'll be able to portray everyone well as my story goes on!
> 
> I have general ideas in store, but I don't have them all sorted out completely, so I'm just going with the flow~ Also, sorry. Kazuma won't pop up for a little while. Do ya'll still like slow burn? Cause this one might burn even slower than the previous story!!


	3. Chapter 3

“What do you mean Cray's gone???,” Shion asked with a raised voice.

“Shion stop!,” Tokoha snapped at him.

“Gods... DAMMIT!!!,” Shion kicked at the table.

Chrono and Onimaru's fight had stopped because Chrono almost had a panic attack. Why? Why couldn't he imagine it anymore..? Was this really it? Was he unable to do anything to get Kazuma back and stop Gyze?

“I'm sorry..,” Onimaru spoke. “I must've caused something to trigger inside of him.. Maybe.. Maybe it was still too soon.”

“It's alright, Onimaru-san..,” Tokoha reassured him. “I think.. we should take him home..”

“Yes.. ,” Onimaru sighed quietly and then bowed deeply. “Shindou-kun.. I'm really.. terribly sorry...”

Shion took a deep breath and Chrono heard him kneel down by his side. “Chrono... We're going to take you home now.. Is that alright?”

“...Dammit... I'm sorry..,” Chrono whispered.

“Chrono..,” Tokoha knelt on the other side of him. “It's not your fault...”

“I'm so pathetic..,” Chrono gritted his teeth to hold back tears. He used to never cry.

“…We should talk with Ibuki soon…,” Tokoha said. “Do you want to do that, Chrono?”

“I'm not sure,” Chrono said.

“Maybe he knows something. Or knows someone who could help,” Shion encouraged.

“I can contact Ibuki about meeting with him as soon as possible,” Onimaru offered.

“Chrono.. Don't forget.. We're here with you,” Tokoha moved to hug him. “You don't have to do anything alone. There's no reason we shouldn't be able to help you grasp onto a future you desire. If anything, it makes it easier.”

“To..koha..,” Chrono took a deep breath. “Huh... I forgot again, didn't I?”

“It's okay. We'll be here to remind you since you're still so stubborn about doing things by yourself,” Tokoha joked, but Chrono heard her sniffle. He hated it when Tokoha cried. She was always so radiant and beautiful. She shouldn't have to be in pain because of his mistakes.

“I won't forget from now on..,” Chrono hugged her back this time and helped her stand. Shion also stood up. Chrono pulled away from Tokoha and wiped a tear that traveled down her cheek. “Okay. I.. could try to talk to Ibuki.”

“I already texted him,” Onimaru nodded. “He said he could meet you all tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Shion said. “Let's walk Tokoha home, okay Chrono?”

“Yeah.”

–

They walked in silence for a little while. So much clouded Chrono's mind yet, for some reason, his mind felt clearer than before. He wondered if it was because he had so much on his mind that he just blocked out everything else or if it was because of something else. He looked up at the darkening sky and spoke first.

“It kind of feels like old times.”

“...You think so..?,” Shion spoke next.

“Hanging out until dark, walking home together.. We used to do this all the time in middle school,” Chrono continued. “I'm not in a good place right now and everything is a mess, but with the two of you here with me, it makes it so much easier to get back up again,” he looked at the two of them and smiled. It wasn't a very big smile, but, he really did want to smile just then.

“You're right, Chrono,” Tokoha returned with a small smile. “I really did miss the times we were always together. Shion and I spent a lot of time together while you were still recovering from the hospital.”

“Yes. It was a bit awkward since we've had our hands full with the Apostles that it was like we didn't remember what we used to do when we hung out,” Shion added. “So much had happened since we all met.”

“Whatever happens, I hope that I'll be able to see it through the end with both of you,” Chrono said. “No matter what.”

Shion patted Chrono's right shoulder and Chrono turned to him. “We'll save Shouji-kun, Chrono. Don't worry about it.”

“Just think about it: we've accomplished so many crazy and dangerous things together. What's another one to add to our list?,” Tokoha nudged his other side. She smiled at him when he looked at her and he smiled back.

“Heh.. Yeah, you're right,” Chrono laughed a bit. The two of them looked at him in surprise and he glanced between the two of them in confusion until he realized it: he laughed.

The two dropped Tokoha off after some farewells and hugs and were now enroute to Chrono's place since Shion had contacted Iwakura ahead of time to pick him up there.

“I never got to be that close to Shouji-kun,” Shion said once they were a decent distance from Tokoha's. Chrono looked at him and saw that he was looking straight ahead. He stayed silent, having a feeling that Shion had more to say. “During the U20, we were all busy with our own teams, so there wasn't much of a chance to talk with him that often and immediately after that, Tokoha went back to France and we had to focus on school again. Even when the two of you started dating, he was always fairly distant from Tokoha and I. It was easier to talk to him, but I only felt like it was required of me to engage in a relationship with him because you were dating. It never occurred to me just how much he'd affected you,” Shion seemed to choose his words carefully with pursed lips. “I really do wish that I had put in more effort to talk with him and to get to know him outside of all of us hanging out. Aside from that one time you were getting tutored, I never really got to know him as just him. So in a sense... I'm not as affected by this as you are. And that makes me angry at myself.”

Chrono noticed Shion's face contort into frustration. “It makes me angry that I almost feel as if I don't care that he got diffridden whereas if it were you or Tokoha, I would feel like my world was falling apart. Of course I'm worried about him, but I mostly feel pressured to stop Gyze from destroying the world rather than saving him. The only reasons I feel I need to save him is because it's only natural that we should try to save whoever we can, but mostly you care so deeply for him... While you were in the hospital and the week you wouldn't talk to us were so hard on me. I thought, this must have been how you felt when Shouji-kun broke up with you and cut off contact with everyone,” Shion sighed and stopped walking. Chrono stopped as well and just took a good look at how his expression changed again. It seemed to calm down and now he looked at Chrono with sad eyes. “Because I don't know anything about Shouji-kun, I feel as if I'm further from you than ever before and that depresses me... So I'm trying.. to understand everything.”

“Shion...”

“Chrono.. I probably don't deserve it, but I hope that this hasn't changed your view of me,” Shion said quietly.

Chrono put a hand on his shoulder. “You're one of my best friends Shion. Your opinion is your own and you don't have any ill intentions. I don't know where I'd be without you and I'm really glad you're here... Thank you for telling me all of this. I did get really wrapped up in Kazuma that I often forgot to check in with you and Tokoha. I even cried to you guys when Kazuma broke up with me.. I can't believe myself.”

“Truthfully, I wanted to punch Shouji-kun when you came to us about it,” Shion sighed as the two of them continued walking. “Everything he had done during that time and even when he apologized, it just.. It made me furious.. I felt like he wasn't treating you right, but it's just because I don't understand him.”

“Kazuma is.. a really complex guy,” Chrono laughed a bit. “You and Tokoha were always so nosy whenever I hung out with Kazuma... It was kind of annoying to be honest. You both teased me so much.”

“Heh.. Sorry about that,” Shion nudged at Chrono. “You just talked about him so much that it was so obvious to us that you liked him.”

“Yeah, but I suppose I was just nervous that our relationship would change so drastically and that if anything went wrong, it would be the end,” Chrono looked down. “And you know that's how it seemed like it went.”

“Yeah..”

“Honestly.. It really threw me for a loop when Onimaru-san told me that Kazuma felt like he hadn't done anything for me..,” Chrono frowned. “After hearing what he said.. It made me feel like I never really knew Kazuma either. He had been holding in so much and although it shocked me, I feel a bit pissed about it. Why, after all we'd been through, wouldn't he tell me how he was feeling? I know we broke up, but I just think about the time we were together.. It felt like longer than a month, but even though it was a month, he had so many opportunities to talk to me.. It feels like.. he didn't trust me.”

“Hmm.. I don't necessarily think that it's because he didn't trust you,” Shion said. He tucked some hair behind his ear. “I think it's because he wanted to be able to be someone worthy of you. If you think about it, he and Taiyou are similar. Taiyou wanted to so badly become stronger like you that he made a mistake. However, you managed to help him realize it and he worked even harder to become someone that you acknowledge. When I beat him during the U20, he was devastated, but.. it was a clear devotion to you and how he wanted to present himself to you.”

_“Hmm? Prove what?”_

_“Prove that I can be by your side,” Kazuma said clearly. Chrono could just barely make out frustration in the other's expression. He frowned._

_“Kazuma, I want to be with you. You don't have to prove anything to me,” Chrono said to him. It was true. Kazuma didn't need to prove anything to him._

_Kazuma put his chopsticks down and ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. “Is it really alright?”_

_“It is,” Chrono reassured him. He looked directly into those steely grey eyes. He wanted Kazuma to know his feelings. He wanted Kazuma to know that everything he did was enough. That his very existence was enough to make Chrono's entire world better._

_“Okay.”_

Chrono groaned. “Fuck...,” he mumbled. “Kazuma did.. He told me... Dammit.. Why didn't I just listen to him.. He tried to reach out to me for help..”

“We're human beings, so it's impossible to be perfect. We grow more from our mistakes than we do our successes,” Shion said. “I can't speak for Shouji-kun, but I feel like he doesn't hold it against you. Rather, he was probably still trying to figure out things himself..”

“He was always trying to do things by himself! Why didn't he just—oh..,” Chrono realized what he was saying.

“Now, who does that sound like?,” Shion smirked and Chrono scoffed, pushing him.

“Alright. I get it now,” Chrono huffed. “It's just so hard when I have to police myself..”

“And I'm sure it's the same thing Shouji-kun had been going through,” Shion said. “He needs you now more than ever Chrono. I'll give my 100% to save him.”

Chrono smiled at Shion and nudged his arm with his elbow. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Shion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally another chapter!~
> 
> As I said before, I want to make up for the lack of interaction between Try3, so for this part, I hope I wrote Shion well?
> 
> Also, the new season of Vanguard aired today! Did anyone watch? I thought it was so wonderful!! I'm excited to see everyone from the OG cast again!


	4. Chapter 4

“Ibuki,” Chrono said when they stepped into his office. Chrono, Shion, and Tokoha had made their way to the United Sanctuary branch to meet with Ibuki. The other was standing with his back to them, looking out the big windows behind his desk, but when he heard Chrono speak, he turned to them with his usual stern expression.

“Chrono.. How are you feeling?,” he asked as he beckoned them closer. The trio joined him at his desk.

“I've definitely been better,” Chrono cracked a tired smile. “How's everything on your end?”

“Not too sure. We've mostly been hitting dead ends,” Ibuki confessed. “But we did find out something else recently. A possible lead to the Apostle's headquarters.”

“Really?!,” the three of them exclaimed.

“Where?!,” Shion asked.

“While you were here with Chrono, Jaime and Enishi were able to find out some things with Chris's help. We want you to join up with Jaime and Enishi again, Shion,” Ibuki informed.

“Thank you very much,” Shion bowed.

“They're still working out a plan though, so you don't need to leave right away,” Ibuki continued. “Keep in contact with them so as soon as they're ready, you can head their way.”

“I got it,” Shion nodded.

“We also found out something else, and this pertains to you greatly, Chrono,” Ibuki looked the red head dead in the eyes. It made Chrono nervous.

“Y-Yes?”

“You can get your G Zone back.”

“What?! Are you serious?!,” Chrono stepped closer to Ibuki, looking up at him.

“That's right. I was able to get information from Tatsunagi about a place in the desert where a unit from Cray was able to come here,” Ibuki explained. “I think that's your only shot at being able to retrieve your lost G Zone.”

“I see..,” Chrono nodded. “That's amazing..”

“But... I heard about what happened from Onimaru, naturally,” Ibuki said. “About how it seems like you aren't able to bring up images anymore.”

Chrono bit his lip. “That's right..”

“Unfortunately, that's the only way you can get your G Zone back,” Ibuki sighed. “You have to be able to have a strong imagination to have a connection to Cray. The way you are right now, you couldn't possibly even spark a small connection.”

“Is there anything we can do to help him?,” Tokoha questioned.

Ibuki ran a hand through his hair with another heavy sigh. “Unfortunately, that's not something I can help you with. A strong imagination just comes from the person themselves. Chrono can only regain that connection by himself. I wish there was a simple way to go about it, but if it was so easy, anyone would be able to have a strong connection to Cray.”

“That makes sense,” Chrono mumbled. “It'll be alright. I'll figure it out. Shion, you just do what you have to do, okay? Tokoha, if there's anything you have to do, please do it. You don't have to wait for me.”

“Chrono, don't forget what we told you,” Tokoha said in a serious tone.

“Don't worry, I didn't forget,” Chrono reassured. “But this is one battle only I can fight. I want you both to continue forward in helping to gather all the Zeroth Dragons. I'll be sure to catch up with you both in no time.”

“Okay,” Shion and Tokoha nodded.

“I also think that all of you should go back to school soon,” Ibuki told them. “This is important, but while we still don't know everything Gyze and the Apostles are planning on doing, we can't just keep all of you out of school. We've already excused you all for many days. As for you, Tokoha, Anjou probably already told you, but he's prepared a home tutor for you.”

“Yes, he did!,” Tokoha said.

“Alright, with that being said, definitely get back to school. Keep on your toes. I'll be in contact with all of you,” Ibuki instructed. “Shion, you'll probably get contacted by Chris, Enishi, or Jaime within the next week.”

“Thank you,” Shion said.

Ibuki looked at Chrono with what seemed like an emotionless expression, but Chrono had known him long enough to know. “Chrono...”

“I know. I got it,” Chrono said before the other could finish. “It's not the first time I've faced something that seemed impossible to overcome.”

–

After leaving Ibuki's, the three of them went to a nearby cafe to have lunch, but Shion left early because of a call from Iwakura about some business he had to take care of, so Chrono and Tokoha were left together.

“I'm sorry for always making you guys worry,” Chrono sighed.

“Honestly, you making us worry is nothing new, but this was definitely one of the scariest times you've worried us,” Tokoha's expression reverted into something melancholy. “…Do you think you and Kazuma-kun will get back together once we defeat Gyze?”

“…I really wish I had an answer for that,” Chrono said quietly. “I miss him every day.. Since the day he broke up with me, I've missed so much. I miss his laugh and his smile. I miss the days I'd wake up and he'd still be sleeping next to me.. Ah.. Sorry..”

“No. It's alright. Keep going. If you want to,” Tokoha rested her chin on her hand. “I don't mind as long as you don't.”

Chrono smiled fondly at the memories he shared with Kazuma, but it hurt so much to remember. “When we started talking again, it was hard at first because he didn't want to date, but he said he wanted to focus on the diffriders so that we wouldn't be a distraction towards one another. He also said that he didn't think we would let that happen, but he still worried. Ever since yesterday with Onimaru-san, I feel like that wasn't the real reason..”

“Do you think it was because he didn't think he did anything for you?”

“That's what I'm thinking now... But if that's the reason, a part of me hopes that he'll come around,” Chrono tried to smile at her, but she could probably tell he was forcing it. “I hope.. that he still feels the same way that I feel towards him.”

“I hope so too, Chrono,” Tokoha put a hand on Chrono's. “Did I ever tell you about Miguel?”

“Miguel?”

“Mm... I suppose I neglected to share it,” Tokoha breathed. “Miguel was a friend I made while I was in France. Jaime introduced him to me. He was another Neo Nectar user and he was very good. I spent a lot of time with him and.. I think I fell in love with him. I can't be sure because I've never been in love, but... Whenever I got to see him, I felt like something inside of me was blooming. Every day felt fresh and warm because he was around. However, there was a moment I had with him where I experienced what we did with Team Diffrider.”

“Oh.. So Miguel?”

“Yes. Miguel was another diffrider. His unit was Rindo Genetian Musketeer, Antero,” Tokoha said. Her voice sounded firm, but Chrono felt a slight tremble in her hand and she swallowed before continuing. “He.. He died Chrono.”

Chrono froze. “Oh my god.. Tokoha..”

“No. It's alright. It was.. extremely difficult at first... I didn't know what to do with myself and I couldn't bring myself to contact you or Shion because I didn't want to bother the two of you. In a way, I get why you keep doing things alone, but Jaime reminded me that I don't have to do things alone,” Tokoha pulled out her deck and sifted though till she found a card. She flipped it so Chrono could see. It was Antero. “I keep Miguel close to me with Antero in my G Zone. Even though I can't see him, I know that he's with me. In a way, I think I also forgot what it was like to create the image of Cray. Cardfighting felt wrong when he died and I didn't want anything to do with it. So maybe. Maybe you need to find a resolve. I know that you already have a resolve to save Kazuma-kun and also to defeat Gyze, but maybe that's just the start.”

“That's.. actually amazing advice Tokoha,” Chrono blinked. “You're.. so strong. I don't know how I'd cope if Kazuma had.. Ugh.. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you through all of that.”

“I told you, it's fine,” Tokoha smiled. “I get what you meant earlier about needing to figure it out yourself. Although Jaime gave me a push, I really did have to figure out what I wanted to do for myself. I'm the only one in control of my life, so therefore, I was the only one who could figure out how best to fix it.”

“I'll do my best Tokoha,” Chrono told her.

“I know you will.”

–

Chrono spent the rest of the day with Tokoha. It was good to fully reconnect with Tokoha after everything that had happened. Chrono bid her goodnight as he dropped her off at her place and then began the trek back home. It hadn't been that long since he'd been alone with his thoughts, but now that he was in a slightly better state of mind, he figured that he'd be able to think through things more clearly than he did when he had left the hospital. He had thought plenty about what he could have done differently. Not just in regards to Kazuma getting diffridden by Gyze, but also in their entire relationship: when he first met Kazuma, when he recruited him for their team, during the U20, and even at school. This time Chrono decided to think about what he could do from now on.

_If only I could see him and talk to him.. But I know that's impossible since he's diffridden. I'd only get to talk with Gyze._ Chrono sighed.

“Chrono?”


	5. Chapter 5

Chrono stopped dead in his tracks when he heard his given name. _That voice. I know that voice. No way.. That's.. that's.._ He turned around slowly only to see a dark figure. It was hard to make out, but he took a chance, “K.. Kazuma?”

The figure stepped under the illumination of the light post and there he was. It was Kazuma. He was dressed in a black cloak that covered his entire body. It was his hair. It was his voice. It was his face. But.

“Your eyes,” Chrono felt like his heart stopped, but at the same time, it beat painfully against his chest. The eyes that stared at him weren't the comforting cool greys that Kazuma greeted him with. They were a golden yellow that seemed to glow in the darkness that surrounded them. It reminded him of the monsters he would see when he lived at the orphanage so long ago. He never told anyone because he didn't want to be a bother.. He never imagined they would follow him.

“Are they different from his? I hadn't gotten to look at myself yet,” the other shrugged, pulling Chrono out of his thoughts. “But you. You're the Gear Chronicle's Singularity, Chrono Shindou, right?”

“You're not him..,” Chrono gritted his teeth, ignoring what the other had said.

“... Alright. I suppose it's fine if you don't want to answer me,” the other sighed.

“Stop fucking playing around!!,” Chrono cursed. “Dragon Deity of Destruction, Gyze..”

“Oh, so you do recognize me!,” Gyze laughed a bit. “I'm honoured that the Gear's Singularity would even call me by name. You and him were on a first name basis right? You don't have an issue if I call you Chrono?”

“I don't want you calling me that name,” Chrono told him in a low tone. He didn't want to hear that monster say his given name. He wanted so badly to hear his Kazuma to call him that. Hearing his name on his lips in his voice when he wasn't actually saying it made Chrono want to hurl.

“Hm..? Isn't that what people in this country do when they're close to someone,” Gyze asked and Chrono felt his blood boil.

“I'm not close to you.”

“Oh. I see now. You wanted to hear that name from my vessel and not me,” Gyze made an exaggerated sigh, even throwing his head back. Chrono snapped.

“YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!,” he shouted as he ran at Gyze as hard as he could with a fist clenched. He felt his fist connect with Gyze's face, knocking him onto the ground. Chrono immediately pounced on him, yanking on the cloak to pull him up to yell. “CARDFIGHT ME! I'LL DRIVE YOU OUT OF HIM AND DESTROY YOU FOR GOOD!!!”

Gyze's glowing golden eyes just bored into Chrono's with an unamused expression. “Okay, since you don't seem to know, I'm going to let you in on a secret. I'm only going to tell you once, so listen closely.”

Chrono gritted his teeth, but he let him speak.

“Beating me in a Cardfight won't bring him back,” Gyze spoke in a horrifyingly serious tone. “My diffride is different from the others. Rather than merely taking over his body, my diffride is parasitic. I feed off of him and slowly devour him whole. It doesn't mean that his body will deteriorate. It means that I'm devouring his being. My vessel is in a deep sleep. Rest assured, he feels no pain while this happens. However, if you beat me in a Cardfight, I can guarantee you, he'll feel more pain than anyone could probably ever feel in his life before he eventually dies. I'm a deity. The sheer amount of power I possess being ripped out of him would cause his body to destroy itself in a poor effort to try and repair what's been torn away. Human bodies are so fragile.”

Chrono's hands trembled. He searched Gyze's eyes for any sign of a trick. Anything that hinted that he was either lying or unsure, but..

“No..,” Chrono's voice cracked. He let his head hang as his hands fell from the cloak.

Gyze laughed a bit. “But if you somehow managed to beat me in a Cardfight, I'd probably be gone for good. Isn't that comforting?”

Chrono hated him. He hated those words. He hated how Gyze managed to tear him down so easily.

“Get off me,” Gyze pushed Chrono off him and stood up. “My vessel. He loved you, Chrono,” Gyze smirked. “And I love you, too. I can't even begin to thank you for helping me find my way back, but if I remember correctly, your future went up in ash the first time I fought you. You don't even have a connection with Cray even though you're the Singularity. Simply put, I don't have a use for you anymore. You're broken and useless now. Oh. So I guess I lied a bit ago. I _loved_ you, too.”

Chrono stared down at the ground. He couldn't organize his thoughts. He could hear Gyze speak to him and he could process the words, but he couldn't bring himself to look at the other. He couldn't bring himself to say anything back.

“Well, I'm going now. I just wanted to see the Gear's Singularity with my own eyes and attempt to thank you properly,” Gyze said. “This body is weak and I'm starting to feel lightheaded. I assume you're going to still try and stop me, so I expect to see you again.”

Chrono's breaths were shaky. When he finally brought himself to look up, Gyze was gone and Chrono was alone under the street lamp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS. LONG TIME NO UPDATE. I REALLY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. Basically I had the worst writer's block of my life. I wrote like a few chapters ahead and was gonna update it, but I REALLY HATED WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THE STORY. So I took time off, but when I finally thought of how I wanted the story to go, I was DROWNING IN WORK. I work as a theatre costumer so LOTS OF COSTUMES TO BUILD. We just opened our final show so all there is to do is run shows till the season is over~
> 
> Also, apologies, the chapter is short. I just felt like it should only have this scene eue


	6. Chapter 6

Chrono struggled to keep his phone up to his ear without dropping it due to how badly his hand was trembling. He grew more and more anxious with each ring till finally...

“Hello?”

“Amu..”

“Chrono-san, are you okay?,” Amu's voice was laced with worry. Chrono never called her. Not because he didn't like her. He was rather fond of her, but he definitely had a slightly better relationship with Luna. However, that was besides the point. Chrono hadn't spoken to her or Luna since they all got together that one night before Kazuma broke off their relationship for good. He'd been busy with the diffriders and Amu and Luna had their jobs as idols that they couldn't just abandon. He's 90% sure that Tokoha informed them about—“Is it Kazuma? What happened?”

Chrono felt a lump in his throat, “You know?”

“Tokoha briefed us.. We haven't been able to get away from work,” Amu sighed. “Chrono-san, are you okay?”

“I.. I dunno,” Chrono swallowed. “I think.. Yeah, I'm at that crossroads a few blocks from Tokoha's..”

“I'll be there soon. Luna, we've gotta—,” he heard Amu say just before the phone hung up.

Chrono put his phone in his pocket and sighed. He didn't know how long it would take Amu and Luna to find him, but he did know that he didn't want to go back home just yet. He needed to talk to someone. He briefly wondered why he didn't just call Shion or Tokoha, but he felt like he needed to talk to someone else about all this.

“Chrono-san!”

Chrono suddenly looked to where the voice came from and saw the two idols running towards him. He knew they didn't live that close to Tokoha, so he must've been lost in thought for a little while. “Amu.. Luna.”

Luna immediately threw her arms around Chrono. He heard quiet sniffles come from her and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. The embrace lasted for a few seconds before Luna pulled away from him, taking his hands to help him stand. When they stood, she didn't let go. “Chrono-kun, it'll be okay,” Luna told him through watery eyes.

He felt Amu rub his back comfortingly. He already felt a bit better. Now he knew why Kazuma would turn to them often. He took a deep breath before he told them everything he could remember Gyze told him. The pair looked mortified at the news and the three of them stood around in complete silence once Chrono finished.

“I.. I don't know what to do...,” Chrono spoke quietly, as if someone might hear them. “If what Gyze said was true.. then there's no way we can save Kazuma AND the two planets.”

“... The only thing we can do is try and find out more information about the units from Cray,” Amu said. “Gyze was sealed away before and he can be sealed away again.”

Chrono knew that was a solution, but...“But... that most likely means Kazuma will be..”

“There HAS to be a way to get Gyze out of Kazuma's body without harming him,” Amu said firmly and it made Chrono flinch slightly. He noticed her clenched fists tremble slightly and he sighed.

“Amu,” Luna said quietly, letting go of Chrono's hands and taking Amu's. She looked at Luna with a nod and then back to Chrono.

“First thing's first. You have to get rest,” Amu told him. “Sleep tonight and then tell everyone as soon as you can. I wish we could be of more help, but everyone knows more about the diffriders than we do..”

“No, you both have been a ton of help,” Chrono said. “Somehow, my mind is clearer than it was before I talked to you two. I feel like my anxiety has gone down a considerable amount.”

“I'm glad to hear that!!,” Luna said quickly. “Do! Do you want us to walk you home?”

“Actually.. Could you two stay the night?,” Chrono asked. “I don't want to be alone.”

“Of course,” the two replied.

The three of them walked back to Chrono's place in as comfortable a silence as they could be. When they got there, Mikuru's shoes were at the front, but all the lights were off, suggesting that she was probably already asleep. Chrono assured them that Mikuru wouldn't mind and led them to his room. He offered shorts and t-shirts to the two of them since they hadn't come out in their sleeping clothes and they accepted. Once all of them were in sleeping clothes, none of them said anything about the three of them climbing into Chrono's bed together much to Chrono's relief. All he needed right now and a sense of comfort and safety. He's not exactly sure if he's ever felt so scared in his entire life, but he definitely knew that he was completely and utterly terrified. The two girls slept on either side of him. Amu had her back to him, but Luna had an arm around him. He had no issue with the two of them there. In fact, he was certainly happy that they were there, but despite their comforting presence, Chrono didn't sleep a wink that night.

–

Chrono somehow managed to get out of bed without waking up the girls to go in the kitchen around 7 in the morning. It was Sunday so Mikuru-san was still in bed and he had to go back to school the next day. He didn't feel hungry at all, but assumed that the girls would want to eat, so he busied himself with cooking which doubled as an effort to distract his thoughts. Unfortunately, it didn't work very well. He kept replaying his encounter with Gyze last night. When he had seen him standing there in Kazuma's body, Chrono had an inkling of hope that it was actually Kazuma. That he was somehow able to suppress Gyze long enough to talk to him and tell him how to beat him, but of course that was a silly thing to think about.

_“However, if you beat me in a Cardfight, I can guarantee you, he'll feel more pain than anyone could probably ever feel in his life before he eventually dies. I'm a deity. The sheer amount of power I possess being ripped out of him would cause his body to destroy itself in a poor effort to try and repair what's been torn away.”_

“Ow!,” Chrono winced and brought his finger up to his mouth. He ended up cutting himself a little. When he pulled his finger out of his mouth, he inspected the small cut that slowly oozed more blood to Chrono's dismay. He went to the sink to wash it with soap and then dug out the bandaids in one of the drawers.

“Chrono?,” came a voice from around the corner.

Chrono looked to his right to see Mikuru-san walking over to him. “Oh, good morning,” Chrono said.

“Good morning,” she smiled. “Are you okay?”

“Mm.. I just cut myself a little with the knife,” Chrono sighed. “I'm making breakfast you and the girls.”

“Girls?”

“Oh, yeah!! Uhm, Amu and Luna are here,” Chrono informed her. “They stayed over last night. I assumed you wouldn't mind. I had a rough night..”

Mikuru-san looked him over and then patted his head. “Life hasn't been the best to you lately... I wish I could do something to help.”

Chrono took her hand with a sad smile. “I'll be okay. Do you want breakfast?”

“Sure. Have you made coffee?”

“Oh, no, I forgot.”

“That's alright,” Mikuru-san said as she walked over to the coffee maker. “I can make some. Go and wake up the girls.”

“Okay..,” Chrono walked over to his room. He knocked before going in and was surprised to see the two of them already awake and on their phones. “Morning. I made breakfast.”

“Good morning,” the two of them greeted.

“We already texted Tokoha and Shion-san,” Amu said. “They're on their way here.”

“Thanks..,” Chrono blinked. “Do.. Do you two think I should talk to Kazuma's mom..?”

The two idols looked a bit stunned and a bit worried, but they seemed like they couldn't find words to say to him.

“Onimaru-san has probably been checking on her, but..,” Chrono continued. “I have no idea what he's told her. I feel responsible for what's happened.. So I think I should talk to her.”

“I'm not going to tell you what you should and shouldn't do,” Amu spoke up. “If you think talking to her is something you need to do, then you should. You should also probably talk with Onimaru-san to see what he's informed her of. Kazuma is her only precious son. I can't imagine she's taking any of this well.”

“I know..,” Chrono swallowed. “I'll talk about it with Shion and Tokoha, too.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Luna said. “But let's go eat breakfast. We won't be able to do anything on an empty stomach.”

–

Shion and Tokoha arrived shortly after the 3 of them ate. Well, after the girls ate. Chrono nibbled here and there, but his stomach wouldn't settle and eating felt like it would probe his stomach to reject it and throw up. Chrono told them as calmly as he could what Gyze had informed him of, all the two were dumbstruck at it all and remained silent while he spoke.

“I think I need to talk to his mom..,” Chrono finished. “I can't imagine how she's feeling with her son missing..”

“Call Onimaru-san,” Shion said. “He needs to know this information and so does Ibuki-san. Onimaru-san could probably accompany you to see Kazuma-san's mom. I think it would be best to have him accompany you.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Tokoha nodded then put a hand on Chrono's shoulder. “But hey, how are _you_ doing?”

Chrono sighed deeply. “I.. feel anxious... I'm almost not sure... what to think about.. My mind is on Kazuma, but it's also on a million other unrelated things.. Like school.. if I should eat... How I'm worrying Mikuru-san... Sometimes I wonder.. if I should talk to that fuck ass dad of mine...”

“... It's normal to think of so many things at once,” Tokoha said. “I felt the same way with Miguel.. Don't feel like you have to contact your dad, but if you really feel like you should, then you should. However, I think we definitely should contact Ibuki-san and Onimaru-san and try to see if you can see Kazuma-kun's mom.”

Chrono hid his face in his hands for a couple of seconds, but nodded. “Alright...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Long time no post. Sorry this is a short ch and it's kinda like a filler ch? But I wanted to bring in Amu and Luna cuz the anime kinda forgot about them in G Z. Also cause I already built a good relationship between Kazuma and RumLab, I can't just not include them. But I also want Chrono to have a support system. It's gonna be really bumpy from here on.
> 
> On a personal note if you guys care, I'm not doing very hot, if you read my announcement post in the prev ch, I'm very depressed (sad? Idk, last time I was this bad was when I first moved away for college and my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer). I don't know how often I'll update this, but I do want to finish. It's.. kind of funny cause my final major conversation with my cousin was about G Z and all the ways it could have been better. Honestly, I wish that wasn't my last conversation with him. I wish I would've been something more important I guess.. But I can't change that. I'm just trying to hold on. Thanks to everyone that has read this story. It means a lot.


	7. Chapter 7

The 5 of them ended up meeting with Ibuki in his office and he was there with Onimaru and Mamoru. The three were just as shocked to hear the news. In fact. Kazumi seemed destroyed and he fell to his knees.

"Onimaru-san!!," Chrono blurted as he knelt down next to him immediately. He put a hand on his shoulder and sucked in air as he felt the older one trembling badly.

"What do I do...?," Onimaru's voice cracked. "What do I tell Yuki-san..... Kazuma... Maa-kun.. My baby brother..."

Chrono's heart broke as he witnessed Onimaru break down into tears. He looked at the others but their expressions were just as grim and they didn't meet Chrono's eyes. Chrono basically told him that his brother was dead but... "No... Onimaru-san, don't give up...," Chrono clenched his teeth. "There has to be a way..."

"Even then-!!," Onimaru cried loudly as he pushed Chrono away. "What do I tell Yuki-san?! She's already devastated when I told her he'd gone missing just as you had.. If.. I told her the possibility of Kazuma being..," Onimaru trailed off and just continued to cry loudly. His sobs were the only sounds that filled the room.

"I'll tell her...," Chrono said quietly. "After all.. It's my fault.. Since the beginning, it's been my fault. If I never took that hand... None of this ever would have happened," Chrono blinked back his own tears. "I'm fine if she never wants to see me again, but if she hates me target than you, I can live with it..."

"Shindou-kun...," Onimaru sniffled. "No.. She wouldn't hate you.. Honestly... We still don't know where he is.. And we don't know if we can get him back..."

"But there's still a possibility that we can," Ibuki spoke up. "A diffride is a diffride. Even if he claims that his is parasitic, he's still a soul that is inside of a temporary host."

"We'll contact Chris-kun and the others to see what they can find out about all this," Mamoru said. "I know this is hard for all of you, but work on going about your lives. We've done all we can to excuse you from school, but any more absences and it'll affect your time at school."

"We understand Niisan," Tokoha nodded.

"We've filed a missing persons report for Shouji-kun as soon as Gyze took over him," Mamoru informed. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Focus on your studies, but also keep an eye out for anything."

"Shindou-kun..," Onimaru said as he began to stand up. Chrono did as well. "Do you still want to go see Yuki-san?"

Chrono blinked a couple of times before he wiped at his watered eyes. "Of course."

\--

Onimaru knocked on the door of Kazuma and his mom's home. "Yuki-san.. It's me Kazumi.. Shindou-kun is here as well."

It was quiet for a few moments until they heard quiet footsteps approach the door till it was opened.

"Ah.. Hello. Come in both of you," came Yuki-san's gentle voice. But when Chrono stepped in and got a better look at her, his stomach churned. It's obvious that she had been crying. Her eyes were red and raw, and she definitely was forcing a smile. Under her eyes were pretty severe daek circles. Of course... After all, her one and only son was missing... And if they couldn't figure out how to separate him from Gyze soon, he'd be gone forever.

She let them sit in the living room and offered to get them anything to drink, but both of them refused so for a couple of minutes, the three of them sat in silence until Yuki-san spoke up. "So, Chrono-kun, how are you doing? I know it must be tough but... I heard you had been missing for a week some time ago..."

"Ah.. I'm... Better," Chrono replied. He could tell she was kind of avoiding bringing up Kazuma. "It took a little for me to recover fully.."

"I'm glad to hear that you're better," she smiled sadly.

"Yuki-san," Chrono said. His heart hammered against his chest, but he couldn't chicken out now. "I'm going to find him. We.. We're all doing our best.... I want him back... And I can't imagine how you must feel..."

Yuki-san nodded and pressed her lips together. "It's...a parent's worst nightmare to lose their child.. I want to do something, but the only thing I can do is wait as the officials continue their search.."

Chrono's heeart twisted painfully. He wished for it to be easy to just find him and get him back. "Kazuma.. Is smart. If anything, he's doing his best to come back here to us.."

Onimaru put a hand on Chrono's back and rubbed comfortingly. Chrono started to cry a bit. "I'm.. S-sorry Yuki-san.. I sh-should.. Should've been more.. Attentive of how h-he acted.."

"Don't blame yourself, Chrono-kun," Yuki-san said. "We couldn't have known what was going through his mind when he went missing... All we can do is hope he'll be back soon... I just hope.. We can find leads on what happened..."

_So.. Onimaru-san didn't make up some story... Only that we don't know what happened.._ Chrono wiped his tears and nodded.

"Do you two want to stay over for dinner?," Yuki-san offered.

"Is it alright, Yuki-san?," Onimaru asked.

"Of course..," she said. "It's been a bit quiet.. I'd love some company."

The two busied themselves with helping her prepare dinner. It wasn't anything special. Just some vegetable ramen since it seemed that Yuki-san hadn't much energy to go out and shop. Not that the two blames her. They mostly ate in silence. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, but it wasn't entirely comfortable either. Just none of them seemed to have anything to say. Nothing at all. After dinner, Onimaru excused himself since he had a meeting in the morning. Chrono assumed probably with Ibuki and the others. So he stayed and helped Yuki-san with cleaning up.

"Yuki-san..," Chrono said as he laid a dish he just washed on the drying rack.

"Yes, Chrono-kun?"

"... May I stay the night?," Chrono asked nervously. Yuki-san turned to him with a questioning look. "I.. Want to feel closer to him again.."

She presented him with a sad smile and patted his head. It was oddly comforting. "Of course. Feel free to any of his clothes...," she said. "I'm.. Sorry for the mess in his room. He hadn't had the chance to clean."

Chrono shook his head and bowed. "Thank you.. So much.. I'm sorry I hadn't tried talking with you sooner. Even when I started dating him..."

"It's okay," Yuki-san assured him. "I never met anyone Kazuma dated, but he'd never dated anyone for long. Even though you both only ended up dating for a month, Kazuma was always so fond of you. He talked of you so often."

Chrono felt his cheeks get warm, but he also felt extremely sad. "I'll.. Text my aunt that I'm staying over."

\--

Yuki-san went to sleep first since even though she had gotten permission to stay home from work for a bit because of Kazuma's disappearance, but Chrono was up. He had showered and pulled on a pair of gym shorts and a shirt and they both smelled like Kazuma. He laid in Kazuma's bed for the first time ever and it smelled like Kazuma. He never imagined that his first time laying in Kazuma's bed would be alone without the warmth of the other. He also cursed at himself since he forgot he had school the next morning. Luckily, Kazuma's uniform was hanging up and they wore the same size, but, he felt uneasy. He wondered if this was weird.. If it was wrong that he was here, but he couldn't help himself. He missed him so much. He buried his face in the pillow shut his eyes tightly to prevent himself from crying as his nose was filled with the scent of the other. Kazuma had a pleasant smell. It wasn't something he could describe. But it was partially a woodsy type of smell since he loved that kind of natural shampoo and soap.

"Kazuma..," Chrono whispered quietly to himself.

"Oh shit," came a familiar voice that startled Chrono up. He didn't even notice that the window had been opened, but standing there was... Gyze. "Ah.. Who would've thought you'd be here.."

Chrono stared at him in horror. He wasn't in that long black cloak this time. Instead, from what Chrono could see from the moonlight through the window was that he was in a long coat. "What are you doing here?"

"Keep it down, there's someone else in the house," Gyze whispered. "I'm here because this IS his room. And I dunno, something kind of possessed me to check it out. More importantly, why are YOU here?"

"That's none of your business," Chrono whispered darkly.

"Oh, don't tell me," Gyze put a fist in his palm as if he had a realization. "You wanted to feel close to him again?"

Chrono flinched slightly but looked away.

"Bingo," Gyze said. "If you miss him so much, I still look like him don't I? I could give you a hug."

"Stay away from me," Chrono turned back and nearly screamed when Gyze was right in front of him, but the other covered his mouth.

"Don't yell, people are trying to sleep," Gyze shushed him as he pushed him down.

Chrono struggled to get his hand off his mouth for a little and when he did he tried to get the other off of him but to no avail. Kazuma had always been stronger. "What do you want..?," Chrono glared up into the sickening yellow eyes that basically glowed. They were.. full of curiosity and.. something else?

"...," Gyze said nothing as his eyes raked over Chrono's features. He couldn't see Gyze's face too clearly even though his eyes adjusted to the dark and there was light from the moon, but.. "... You're beautiful..," Gyze spoke in a low tone

Chrono felt shivers go down his spine as his heart thumped heavily and he wasn't sure if it was cause he was terrified or because it was still Kazuma's voice.

"If you didn't want to kill me.. I'd love to have you on my side...," Gyze brushed a hand on Chrono's cheek. "I feel an odd sense of comfort right now.. Something.. I haven't felt in centuries. And the voices are quieter than they've ever been."

Chrono blinked a couple of times. Now he was curious. And wondered.. If this could be his chance to get some answers. "What voices?"

Gyze stared down at him, his aura suddenly pressuring Chrono greatly and it horrified him. "That's none of your concern," Gyze said. "I've spent enough time here. I just wanted to see this place and check on mo-...? His.. Mom? I was just curious.. And then you were here.. Humans are strange."

He got up off Chrono and Chrono sat up as he watched the other walk towards the window. "Why would you want to check on Kazuma's mom?"

"... I just said I was curious," Gyze told him without turning around. "It was just something I wanted to see. I'm still recovering in this body.. I seems it'll take a while longer before I can consume him entirely.. Humans heal so slowly. A wonder I have to go through this as well.."

"So, he's still there?," Chrono asked.

"Of course. But I already told you that it's pointless to try and get him back," Gyze sighed, still with his back to Chrono, but he turned a bit to look at him. "I could probably restore your connection with Cray... If you became my Apostle."

Chrono bristled. "And help you destroy both Cray and Earth? You're insane."

"Hm. It was worth a shot."

"Why do you even care? I thought you said that I was useless to you now."

"But as an Apostle, you could be quite the asset," Gyze said. "I'm not actually sure if I could do anything to restore your connection to Cray, but who knows? Becoming an Apostle means you'd be diffriden. That's a direct connection to Cray. So it makes sense right?"

"I won't become a slave to you and assist you in murdering trillions of lives on our planets."

Gyze shrugged. "Suit yourself. You'll never succeed in getting rid of me unless you get rid of Kazuma as well. Anyways, I'm taking my leave. I'll probably see you again soon."

Chrono was going to say more, but he escaped through the window and left Chrono alone, confused, and irritated. He ended up without sleep for a second night in a row.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up writing a lot. Idk if I like where the later chapters I wrote up to are going yet, but here's an update loves~


	8. Chapter 8

Chrono felt like death as the sun came up and he was just staring up at the ceiling. He hoped he would get exhausted from having no sleep the night before, but he just ended up staying awake. He groaned when he finally got out of bed to wash up in the bathroom. He splashed his face with water and looked at himself in the mirror. Dark circles under his eyes, a small crease in between from furrowing his brows constantly lately, and some acne. From stress and lack of sleep no doubt. No wonder his face hurt. Chrono sighed and dried his face.

When he went back to Kazuma's room, he took his uniform off the hanger and put it on slowly, even retrieving the tie he never wore that was on his desk. Chrono grabbed his phone and Kazuma's school bag which he checked for Kazuma's books and such. Chrono definitely regretted not going back home to retrieve his own things, but he'd be late if he tried to get them now.

When he went to the front door, he saw Yuki-san's shoes still there. Chrono concluded she was still asleep, so before he put on his shoes, he went to the kitchen and started up some coffee for her and dug around for a pen and paper to leave her a note that thanked her for letting him stay the night and that he'd return Kazuma's uniform soon.

\--

Chrono's day at school was pretty bad. He kept spacing out in class and almost cried at the stack of homework his teachers gave him to make up for the days he'd been absent. He wasn't sure how he could possibly get it all done.

At lunch he was joined by Kumi. She greeted him and they ate, mostly in silence much to Chrono's relief. He wouldn't know what to say, but he knew that Kumi was smart and considerate. She probably felt like talking wasn't what Chrono really wanted. Despite that, he was glad she joined him for lunch. Her company was comforting.

After school, he walked aimlessly. He didn't really want to go home right away, so he just took a really long route. All the while, his mind was full of thoughts and questions, but at the same time, his mind was blank. He considered texting Shion, Tokoha, or Rummy Labyrinth, but he decided against it. He didn't really have anything to say to them, but he did want to talk... But to who..?

\--

His feet somehow took him to the hospital and before he knew it, he was standing outside of Taiyou's hospital room. He swallowed nervously and knocked.

"Come in," came Taiyou's voice that was muffled by the door.

Chrono opened it slowly and waved when he saw the young boy. Taiyou's eyes seemed to light up upon seeing Chrono.

"Chrono-san!!," he smiled widely.

"Hey Taiyou..," Chrono tried to smile back, but he felt guilty. He hadn't seen Taiyou in a while and seeing him in the hospital bed with wraps around his injuries and an IV made him feel sick. "I'm sorry I haven't visited... How.. Are you doing?"

"Don't be sorry," Taiyou said. "I'm doing fine! Nothing life threatening. I just need to heal. They need me to stay in the hospital a bit longer than expected to help me rehabilitate since I couldn't walk for a while."

It stung. "I'm so sorry..."

"Ch-Chrono-san?? Please! Please don't cry," Taiyou sounded worried. "It's really okay. Don't blame yourself. What happened to me was by my actions and not yours."

Chrono sighed heavily. "... Okay... Well.. I'm.. Glad you're doing alright."

"Thank you," Taiyou bowed a little but then his expression turned serious. "But how are YOU?"

Chrono stared at him and shook his head. "Definitely not good..," he said truthfully. "We were told we have to go back to school for the time being... But I feel so broken.."

"That's.. Completely understandable..."

"Oh. You haven't heard yet, have you?," Chrono realized that Taiyou had been here when he found out about losing his connection to Cray and what had happened Kazuma.

So he briefed him on the news and Taiyou clenched his fists. "That's horrible..," he seemed to blink back tears. "That can't be right!!!"

"I'm not sure if it's true, but... What else do we have to go on?"

"... Ahh..," Taiyou's expression turned solemn. "I wish I wasn't stuck here..."

"Taiyou, you focus on healing. Nothing good will come from you injuring yourself further," Chrono said.

"But.. Kazuma-san is your precious person," Taiyou said quietly. "And both of you are like older brothers to me... I.. Would do anything for the two of you. Being here.. I'm just useless again."

"You were never useless Taiyou," Chrono told him firmly. "You were always there to support me and Kazuma.. And you still are. It's my turn to support you and Kazuma..."

"... Chrono-san. Just don't forget that you have people who want to help you," Taiyou said.

Chrono opened his mouth to say something else when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!," Taiyou called.

The door opened to reveal Hiroki. He was dressed in his school uniform and was holding his school bag. "Taiyou-- oh! It's Shindou-san. How do you do?," he said with a bow.

"I'm making it," Chrono said.

"Hiroki-kun has been coming here almost every day to bring me my homework and check on me," Taiyou explained.

"Sh.. Shush.. It's what friends and rivals do," Hiroki puffed his cheeks as he dug the homework out of his backpack and put it on the nightstand next to Taiyou's bed. "Did they give you a release date?"

"I think in a week," Taiyou answered him.

"Good. School's majorly boring without you," Hiroki said and it made Taiyou laugh a bit. Chrono felt himself smile. He was glad Taiyou found someone more his age to interact with and get friendly with.

"I think I'll take my leave now, Taiyou," Chrono said as he stood up.

"Okay, Chrono-san. Is that all you wanted to talk about?," Taiyou asked.

"I unfortunately came here thoughtlessly, but also because I really should've done so sooner," Chrono confessed.

"Chrono-san," Taiyou spoke seriously again. "We'll save Kazuma-san. We've done so many things that seemed impossible. This is just another thing on that list."

Chrono gave Taiyou a smile. "Yeah. You're right."

\--

A few weeks passed. Ibuki and the others didn't really find leads on Kazuma or how to get Chrono's connection to Cray back, but Jaime and Enishi had finally figured out a way to infiltrate the potential Apostle base so Shion flew out to meet them to prepare. Chrono spent time catching up on homework with Tokoha's help. He even visited Taiyou more and also checked on Yuki-san. He hadn't seen Gyze since that night. He began to wonder if he was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Taiyou. Poor thing is so injured tho. I wanna try to use him more but we'll see.


End file.
